當代版畫二次創作的最高精神

文／張孟起

高士畫廊委託虛苑國際版畫中心製作，讓劉國松對版畫有了新評價：版畫並非一味複製原作，而是由美術學院版畫科系畢業版畫創作經驗豐富的工坊技師，深入理解原作，運用豐富的技法和印刷經驗，以版畫獨特的藝術語言進行再次創作。

兩年來，劉國松多次親臨虛苑，和木刻水印、銅版、石版、絲網四個版種工作室的二十多位技師，進行了深入而全面性的交流。劉國松讓技師們充分了解他現代水墨的觀念、技法與精神，技師們也讓劉國松感受不同版種獨特的表現形式與版畫語言。雙方全心投入兩年時間，將劉國松一生中最精彩的代表作品，以木刻水印、銅版、石版、絲網四個版種製作為精美版畫。劉國松衷心的向技師們說：「你們都是賦予我作品新生命的藝術家。」

高士畫廊於2014年10月推出第一套劉國松簽名、手工、限量版畫，受到臺灣畫廊協會資深顧問陸潔民高度的肯定。陸潔民在2015年4月實地走訪虛苑之後表示，手工版畫具備比原作更精彩豐富的可能，如何做到比原作更好，就要精準運用版畫的語言優勢，用銅版、木刻水印、絲網、石版不同工法的特殊語言來超越。真正的版畫追求的不是重覆，而是以各個版種不同工法在原作的基礎上進行二次創作，賦予不同於原作的版畫語言。陸潔民指出，劉國松、高士畫廊、虛苑三方的通力合作，已經達到當代版畫二次創作的最高精神。

---

 

A New Standard in Contemporary Printmaking

 

Loftyart Gallery’s Liu Kuo-sung Prints, with the help of Xuyuan International Printmaking Centre, has given Liu Kuo-sung a new perspective on the art of printmaking, in that prints do not merely reproduce the likeness of original artwork, but rather, they recreate its artistic spirit through the language of printmaking, which requires experience, dedicated craftsmanship, and a genuine understanding of the original artwork.

For the last two years, Liu Kuo-sung frequently visited Xuyuan and engaged in deep and comprehensive exchanges with over thirty printmakers from the woodblock, etching, lithograph and silkscreen printing departments. Liu shared with them his belief in Modern Ink Painting, as well as the painting techniques he created. In exchange, the printmakers shared with him the different forms of expression characteristic of the various type of printmaking. As a product of this relationship, the defining artworks of Liu Kuo-sung’s career are recreated in woodblock, etching, lithograph, and silkscreen prints. In response to the printmakers, Liu declared: “you are all artists of recreating my art!”

Loftyart’s first series of Liu Kuo-sung’s autographed handmade limited edition prints, released in October 2014, was met with high approval by Jimmy Lu, Senior Advisor of the Taiwan Art Gallery Association. After visiting Xuyuan upon our invitation in May 2015, Jimmy Lu expressed the possibility for prints to be more remarkable and exciting than original artworks, this is because they incorporate and utilize the fascinating qualities of woodblock, etching, lithograph, and silkscreen printmaking. Authentic prints do not pursue imitation; instead they are a separate art form, taking the original artwork as their basis, to be recreated through the art of printmaking. Lu Jimmy believes the combined effort of Liu Kuo-sung, Loftyart and Xuyuan has set a new standard in contemporary printmaking.

Richard MC Chang